Using OneNote s AutoCorrect Feature

Using OneNote's AutoCorrect Feature

Chances are there are spelling mistakes you make all the time. For example, if you're a fast typist, you might often type teh instead of the. If you type teh in Microsoft Word, you'll notice as soon as you hit the space bar, Word changes it to the. This feature is known as AutoCorrect. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote all have the AutoCorrect feature. This is the same feature that replaces a lowercase i with a capital I when the letter is typed by itself.

You can change AutoCorrect's options and add words and phrases to AutoCorrect. Any words or phrases you add to AutoCorrect in OneNote will also appear in Word's AutoCorrect options.

To view OneNote's AutoCorrect options, choose AutoCorrect Options from the Tools menu to display Figure 11.5.

Figure 11.5. You can add, remove, or examine OneNote's AutoCorrect options through this dialog.

You can change any of the following AutoCorrect options.

• Show AutoCorrect Options buttons Unchecking this box prevents OneNote from displaying a list of AutoCorrect options for words you type in OneNote.

• Correct TWo INitial CApitals As you're typing along, it's very easy to hold down the Shift key for too long and accidentally capitalize the first two letters of a word. By default, this box is checked. Anytime you type a word with two initial capital letters, OneNote changes the second letter to a lowercase letter.

• Capitalize first letter of sentences After you type a period and a space, OneNote will automatically capitalize the next letter typed.

• Capitalize names of days OneNote will always capitalize the days of the week.

• Correct accidental use of cAPS LOCK key If you forget to turn off the CAPS LOCK key after use, OneNote will turn it off for you. OneNote determines that you've forgotten to turn off the CAPS LOCK key if CAPS LOCK is currently on, and you type a word with an initial lowercase letter and the rest of the letters in uppercase.

• Replace text as you type OneNote contains a long list of misspellings and abbreviations. Checking this box allows OneNote to replace potential misspellings and common abbreviations as you type. For example, if you type the three characters (r), OneNote automatically changes it to ® as you type.

You can add, edit, and remove common AutoCorrect options through this dialog. To add an AutoCorrect entry, do the following:

1. Type the common misspelling in the Replace box.

2. In the With box, type the proper spelling of the same word.

3. Click the Add button to add the pair of words to AutoCorrect.

If you want to remove an AutoCorrect entry, use the scroll bar to find the entry you're interested in. Click to select it, then press the Delete key to remove the entry.

Using AutoCorrect to Speed Typing

You can use AutoCorrect for more than just fixing misspelled words and inserting symbols. If you repeatedly type a long phrase, such as the name of your company, you can create an abbreviation in AutoCorrect to insert the full phrase automatically. For example, if you work for Pacific Life, Car, and Auto Insurance Incorporated, you probably don't want to type that whole company name every time it's needed. You can add an AutoCorrect entry that replaces the letters plcai with the full name of the company. Anytime you type plcai in OneNote (or any other Office program), AutoCorrect will replace it with Pacific Life, Car, and Auto Insurance Incorporated.